Syria ready to flip on Iran?

Sunday Telegraph:

Syria is ready to break off its close links with Iran if America gives it financial and military backing, a former Israeli diplomat involved in unofficial peace talks has revealed to The Sunday Telegraph.

According to the official, who has been engaged in low-key "second track" discussions with Syrian representatives for many months, Syria's President Bashar Assad is increasingly open to a deal which would greatly weaken Iranian influence in the region.

Alon Liel, a former director of Israel's foreign ministry, said the prospect of a peace agreement with Syria was growing, though it might require a new American president before a deal could be agreed. Syria's support for radical groups including Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hizbollah, both also backed by Iran, has played a large part in fomenting trouble in the Middle East.

For any peace agreement to be struck between Israel and Syria, it would first be necessary to agree on the future of the Golan Heights - the lofty piece of territory claimed by Syria but occupied by Israel, which supplies much of that country's drinking water.

"They are asking not only for the Golan Heights but a change in Washington that will break the Syrian isolation internationally," said Mr Liel. "But I also think they will not do it unless they are assured they have an alternative to Iran."

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What the Syrians seem to be saying is that they can be bought by the US in much the way Egypt was given money to make peace with Israel. The real questions with these guys is whether they will stay bought. On way to find out is what they would do with the terrorist currently living openly in Damascus and what they would do stop the violence in Lebanon. Would they also flip on Hezballah? They would also have to stop aiding the terrorist infiltrating into Iraq. If they would do all that Iran would be even more isolated and it could be worth it.

David Haimsky has much more on the benefits of flipping Syria at the Small Wars Journal Blog.